It is common for snacks to be convenient and tasty but unhealthy, like candy bars, cheese crackers, and similar traditional snacks; inconvenient to prepare or perishable like fruits and vegetables; or nutritious and convenient but unappealing like health foods. Due to health concerns, many consumers initially turn to health food bars or drinks but, due to the undesirable flavor, texture or appearance of these products, soon find themselves replacing these products with traditional snacks.
Although traditional snacks are appealing, they have a negative impact on the physical and mental health of consumers. In particular, it is appreciated that the high fat and calorie load and low dietary fiber level of traditional snacks can contribute to obesity and many of the chronic diseases, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. The following list of traditional snacks highlights the significant fat content, caloric contribution from fat, and minimal dietary fiber content of many of these traditional snack foods (Pennington, J., Bowes & Church's Food Values of Portions Commonly Used, 17th edition, 1998, Lippincott, Philadelphia).
Serving SizeTotalGrams% KcalGramsFood Item(Grams)KcalFatfrom FatFiberSnickers Candy Bar612921546.21.5Nabisco Ritz Bits301609.050.61.0CrackersNabisco Peanut311508.048.01.0ButterRitz BitsLance Cheese On371819.044.8—Wheat CrackersLance Peanut Butter371921151.6—On Wheat Crackers
It is known that many consumers prefer traditional snacks to nutritious foods. It is also known that consumers associate the form of a snack food with the enjoyment of the eating experience. Thus, consumers are more likely to consume a snack that is nutritious, and thereby obtain the benefits of the nutritious snack, when the nutritious snack is similar, at least in form, to an appealing but unhealthy traditional snack. In short, many consumers associate snack appeal with snack form. As a result, what is needed is one or more snack foods having balanced nutritional profiles and the form of a traditional snack.
Unfortunately, numerous technical obstacles have blocked the development of nutritionally balanced traditional snacks. In particular, previous attempts at producing said snacks have resulted in products that have poor textures, tastes and appearances. The following sampling of technical challenges and obstacles clarify why the food industry has failed to provide the consumer with nutritionally balanced traditional snacks.
The key technical challenge associated with producing nutritionally balanced snack foods and mixes is achieving fat reduction, while at the same time incorporating sufficient amounts of protein and dietary fiber to achieve a balanced nutritional profile. This challenge is multidimensional as it has numerous formulation and process facets. It is known that snack food formulations tend to be high in fat and carbohydrate, while being low in dietary fiber and protein, thus they are nutritionally unbalanced. Also, it is known that decreasing a snack food's fat level while increasing its dietary fiber and protein levels can, depending on the magnitude of changes, seriously compromise processability, taste and texture. These same barriers have kept mixes, from which the consumer could produce nutritionally balanced traditional snacks, from the consumer.
Specifically, digestible fat reduction has proven to be a formulation and process obstacle for the food industry. In fact, the literature has noted that consumers have been complaining, even if they have not been fully articulating, “that something is missing” in their low-fat, low-calorie foods. According to the literature, that something may be an opioid stimulator as an opioid-releasing effect has been correlated to combinations of sugar and fat. (Adam Drewnowski, Trends in Food Science & Technology, April, 1992). Drewnowski noted that high-sugar, high-fat foods figure most heavily in food cravings and overeating. Naloxone administrations reduced the appeal of such foods in a study group of binge eaters. Conversely, Drewnowski cites clinical studies linking opiate addiction (to substances like opium and heroin) to sweet cravings. In short, fully duplicating the sensation of fat alone may prove a chimera until other taste stimulating components, combination of components or processes are identified. When the difficulties associated with formulating a low fat snack are combined with the difficulties associated with formulating high protein and fiber snacks, such as off-tastes and the loss of dough elasticity, the magnitude of the challenge associated with formulating nutritionally balanced traditional snacks becomes apparent.
In addition to formulation hurdles, the snack food industry has been faced with serious processing challenges. For example, many processes used to produce snacks require frying—a process that results in snacks having a 30-50% fat content. In an effort to reduce fat levels the food industry has resorted to baking processes. While baked snacks such as potato or corn chips have reduced fat contents, they tend to be less palatable as they are very dry, and have poor mouth melts and flavor displays. Thus, it is known that attempting to improve a single parameter of a snack typically requires that at least one other desirable parameter be sacrificed. As a result, the challenge of producing a nutritionally balanced fried snack has gone unanswered, as it requires a reduction in digestible fat and a significant increase in protein and fiber.
An additional processing challenge exists for baked goods, as the incorporation of high levels of protein and dietary fiber results in the loss of dough elasticity. Here, the snack fails to process well as there are generally not enough structure forming components left in the formulation to permit dough sheeting. When combined with formulation challenges mentioned above, it is obvious why the food industry has failed to provide nutritionally balanced traditional baked snacks.
In summary, while not an exhaustive list, the sampling of challenges and obstacles detailed above clarify why the food industry has been unable to provide the consumer with nutritionally balanced traditional snacks. As a result, there remains a need for one or more nutritionally balanced traditional snacks.
Applicants have extensively researched the psychology of eating, the nutritional needs of consumers, and the processing characteristics of nutritious materials. From these efforts, Applicants have recognized the need for one or more nutritionally balanced traditional snack foods. Surprisingly, despite numerous technical hurdles, Applicants have developed multiple embodiments of nutritionally balanced snack foods. The majority of these embodiments have an appeal that is similar to their fat and sugar laden, unhealthy counterparts. Specific embodiments of Applicants' invention include, but are not limited to, potato crisps, snack crackers, dips, crackers and dip contained in separate compartments of a single package, filled crackers, filled bars, cookies and mixes that allow the consumer to prepare said appealing nutritious snacks.
Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide a genus of nutritionally balanced traditional snack foods.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a genus of nutritionally balanced traditional snack foods that have an appeal that is the same or similar to traditional snack foods.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a genus of mixes that consumers can use to prepare nutritionally balanced traditional snack foods.
Another object of this invention is to provide processes for making nutritionally balanced traditional snack foods; and mixes that consumers can use to prepare said foods.
Still another object of this invention is to provide methods of using said nutritionally balanced traditional snack foods and mixes to improve the health of a mammal, particularly a human.
These and other objects will become apparent from the following detailed description.